You want to register a Domain Name for your website (as explained in this article) but aren't sure which extension to choose. .org? .com? The decision isn't entirely yours — there are rules to follow. This article walks you through the most common extensions and what sets them apart.
What is a domain extension?
An extension — also called a top-level domain (TLD) — is the last part of your Domain Name. For example, in the domain name springly.com, the extension is ".com".
You can go beyond the classic .com and .org extensions, but certain rules still apply.
Which extension should I choose for my Domain Name?
The most common extensions are:
- .com — by far the most widely used extension worldwide. Originally intended for commercial businesses, it is now used by all types of organizations, from companies to nonprofits to individuals;
- .us — the country-code extension for the United States, often chosen by local organizations or businesses with a national focus;
- .net — originally intended for internet and networking companies. If you go with .net, make sure a .com version of your domain name doesn't already exist — visitors may end up on a different site instead of yours;
- .org — traditionally used by nonprofits and non-governmental organizations.
There are over 1,500 extensions out there, and some cannot or should not be used by a nonprofit, such as:
- .gov — reserved for U.S. federal, state, and local government websites;
- .edu — short for "education," this extension is reserved for accredited colleges, universities, and schools;
- .info — commonly used by news and informational websites.
- etc.
For more details on the rules that apply to specific extensions, ICANN (the organization that oversees domain names) provides guidance at icann.org.
Found the right extension? Time to make it official. Check out our article Getting a Domain Name for your website, then Connecting your website to a Domain Name you own.
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